A conventional robotic wash system includes a variety of components, such as a robotic device and corresponding control system, a working fluid for washing work pieces, a pump to pressurize the fluid, nozzles to spray the fluid at the objects and an end effector or frame to support the nozzles.
Conventional wash systems add solvents and heat to help break down oil or grease that may be present on the work pieces. These solvents and the increased mist and humidity from the heat can damage the components and joints of the robotic device. Moreover, heated working fluids also increase the rate at which biological contaminants grow in the robotic wash system. These biological contaminants can pose a health hazard to the people working in the plant, and can damage the robotic device and other components in the wash system. Solvents also make it difficult to recycle the working fluid. Solvents tend to mix or otherwise combine with the water and oil or grease to create emulsions. These emulsions are difficult to filter out or separate from the water without using expensive and bulky filtration system. The oil emulsions adhere to the pipe walls and clog the nozzles and other components in the system. The emulsion build up on the pipes and components creates a resilient layer that has a dampening effect on the pressurized system.
Another problem with conventional wash systems is that they take up large amounts of floor space and cannot easily be inserted into an existing manufacturing line. In this regard, the filters and separator in the recycling system of a conventional wash system require a significant amount of time to separate the contaminants and emulsions from the water in order to achieve the desired purity levels of the system. As a result, a large quantity of inactive water must remain in these filters and separators in order to support a relatively small volumetric flow through the spray nozzles. These filters and separators are also relatively large so that even a small wash cell requires a significant amount of plant floor space.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a more compact robotic wash system that can be more easily inserted into an existing manufacturing line. The present invention is directed to such a compact robotic wash system.